Improvement in horse hat-porks



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Letters Patent No. 95,7 43, dated-Octoberl 12, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and ,making partpf the Same- To all Iwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dsvm 1. STEWART, of Spruce Creek, in the county ot' Huntingdonfand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Horse Hay-14`ork; and l do hereby declare that the following is a' full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the` art to make Aand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part ot' this specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in hay-ele vating forks, such as are operated by horse or other power, designed to provide more simple and el'licient forks than those now'in use'.

The invention consists in the arrangement, upon a straight pointed stock, to which the elevating-rope is attached, of a set of jointed hooks, capable of closing into the point of thestock ,to be forced. inw the hay, andthen opening to hold the hay, and a set of gathering and holding-hooks, connected together by slides parallel with the stocks, and operated simultaneously, by setting and tripping-levers, all as hereinafter more fully specified.

Figure l represents an elevation of my improved fork in the position for passing into the hay for gathering a load.

Figure 2 represents the posit-ion when a load has been secured.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A representskthe stock, consisting of a straight bar of metal, having'at one end an eye for connection to' the hoisting-rope, and at the other a broad, iiat point, B, having a slot or iuortise through its greatest breadth, a portion of the lower wall of which represents two sides of a triangle, with the apex pointing toward the other and upper wall.

C represents a pair of hooks, curved at the base, and jointed to slides D, capable of moving longitudinally along the stock, on two sides thereof, and so arranged that the hooks are engaged in the mortise alt the point overlapping each other.

The said slides rise well toward the upper end of the stbck A, and support at their upper ends, a pair of branching hooks, E, projecting downward from a cross-head, F.

the points of the forks G intothe opening throughthe point B, where they cannot obstruct the passage of the point into the hay.

It is then thrust into the hay until the long forks E and the cross-head ,F obstruct the further passage. The arm G is then thrust up into the position represented iu fig. 2, which'drives the slides D `and both sets of hooks downward, causing the hinged hooks (l to assume a right-angfilar projecting position in the hay, calculated'to prevent it' from slipping ofi" the fork;

the downward strain on the said hooks being resisted by the apex of the triangular wall of' the slot, and the link H and lever G, which assumes a straight line between the point ofthe lever G and the cross-head,

and prevents the latter and the slides from rising up until tripped by the cord for disengaging the hooks c, which is done when the fork 'has'arrived at the point for delivery.

Having thus described my invention,

.What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-.

The arrangement of the straight ,shank A, vhaving the point B slotted, as described, the straight slides D, resting against said shank, and provided at their lower 'ends with the curved hooks C, crossing each other in the slot of the `point B, and attached at their upper ends to the cross-head F, having the branching hooks E, the connecting-rod H, pivoted to the crosshead, and the operating-lever G, pivoted to the rod H and shank A, alll as herein described and shown, for

the purpose specified.

' DAVID P. STEWART.

itnesses HENRY OHAMBERLAIXV J W. GOLDER. 

